Fragrance comparison

Drowning In Madagascar Vanillac Dreams vs Empire State

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 28 Oct 2026 5 ratings analysed

2 wins

Drowning In Madagascar Vanillac Dreams

The Dua Brand

3.254 votes

Rank #58,898 VanillaSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

46%scent match

Some overlap

Empire State

Mundus

5.001 votes

Rank #56,074 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Drowning In Madagascar Vanillac Dreams takes 2 of 5 categories.

Drowning In Madagascar Vanillac Dreams
Choose it for a vanilla and sweet character. Wins on longevity and note pyramid duration. Best in fall, evening wear.
Empire State
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear.

Drowning In Madagascar Vanillac Dreams2/5

Empire State1/5

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Drowning In Madagascar Vanillac Dreams
Sillage & projection: Tie
Value for money: Tie
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Drowning In Madagascar Vanillac Dreams
Fragranxe ranking: Empire State

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

Drowning In Madagascar Vanillac DreamsThe Dua Brand

Empire StateMundus

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.25/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 75%Had 0%Want 25%

5.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 17%Had 0%Want 83%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

25%Love

0%Like

50%Ok

25%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate56

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate100

Category winners

LongevityDrowning In Madagascar Vanillac Dreams

SillageTie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

Category winnerTieBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

vanilla100%

sweet92%

warm spicy84%

woody77%

soft spicy69%

fruity61%

amber100%

warm spicy92%

woody84%

rose77%

powdery69%

balsamic61%

Scent match46%Some overlap · both warm spicy and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Notes

Pink PepperVanillaSandalwoodStrawberryMandarin OrangeTurkish RosePatchouliAmbergrisCardamomBenzoinGreen NotesBergamot

No top / heart / base split published

Top15-30 mins

GingerBergamotPink PepperGreen Notes

Heart2-4 hrs

Turkish RoseCardamomBlackcurrant

Base6-8+ hrs

BenzoinSandalwoodAmbergrisPatchouliMuskVanillaCedar

Category winnerDrowning In Madagascar Vanillac DreamsLongest dry-down: 8-10+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day33

Night100

Spring100

Summer50

Fall100

Winter100

Day85

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex50

Women50

Date 37%Party 28%Casual 24%Work 10%

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

Date 30%Work 28%Casual 26%Party 15%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#58,898

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#56,074

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerEmpire StateHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Drowning In Madagascar Vanillac Dreams by The Dua Brand offers a rich, comforting twist on dark vanilla. Instead of smelling like plain frosting or synthetic sugar, the scent opens with a sharp flash of lemon, bergamot, and zesty ginger before settling into deep woods and spices. A distinct heart of pink pepper, carda…

Reviews →

Empire State by Mundus opens with a brisk snap of fresh ginger and tart bergamot, backed by crushed green notes and sparkling pink pepper. The initial sharpness softens within minutes. A plush heart takes over, highlighting Turkish rose petals, cool green cardamom, and a dark drop of tart blackcurrant fruit. As the sc…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Drowning In Madagascar Vanillac Dreams or Empire State?

Drowning In Madagascar Vanillac Dreams takes 2 of 5 categories. Drowning In Madagascar Vanillac Dreams is rated 3.25/5 from 4 votes; Empire State is rated 5.00/5 from 1 votes. Choose Drowning In Madagascar Vanillac Dreams for a vanilla and sweet character. Wins on longevity and note pyramid duration. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Empire State for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Drowning In Madagascar Vanillac Dreams or Empire State?

Drowning In Madagascar Vanillac Dreams lasts longest (Drowning In Madagascar Vanillac Dreams 70/100, Empire State 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Drowning In Madagascar Vanillac Dreams or Empire State?

Projection is very close: Drowning In Madagascar Vanillac Dreams 50/100, Empire State 50/100 for sillage.

Do Drowning In Madagascar Vanillac Dreams and Empire State smell similar?

Some overlap: a 46% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Pink Pepper, Vanilla, Sandalwood and Turkish Rose.

Is Drowning In Madagascar Vanillac Dreams or Empire State better for summer or winter?

Drowning In Madagascar Vanillac Dreams suits evening wear; Empire State suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Drowning In Madagascar Vanillac Dreams and Empire State?

Drowning In Madagascar Vanillac Dreams features Pink Pepper, Vanilla, Sandalwood, Strawberry and Mandarin Orange. Empire State has top notes of Ginger, Bergamot, Pink Pepper and Green Notes, heart notes of Turkish Rose, Cardamom and Blackcurrant, a base of Benzoin, Sandalwood, Ambergris and Patchouli.